Asia's Largest 'Tokyo Food Expo'... K-Food Secures $99 Million in Export Consultations

K-Food attracted significant attention from buyers at the "2026 Tokyo Food Expo," Asia's largest food exhibition, resulting in achievements such as export consultations and the signing of business agreements (MOUs).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) announced on the 18th that they participated in Foodex, held in Tokyo, Japan from the 10th to the 13th, conducting a total of 1,333 export consultations worth 99 million dollars (an 11% increase from the previous year). Among these, 23 MOUs were signed, amounting to 12 million dollars (a 9% increase from the previous year).

Buyers visiting the integrated Korea Pavilion at the "2026 Tokyo Food Expo (Foodex)" held in Tokyo, Japan from the 10th to the 13th, are exploring K-Food. aT

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This year marks the 51st edition of Foodex, Asia's largest food exhibition, which brings together 3,000 companies from about 80 countries and attracts more than 70,000 visitors from the food industry. It has served as a representative platform for K-Food exporters entering the Japanese market.

This year's Foodex showcased numerous frozen, convenient, and health foods in response to recent trends in Japan, such as rising dining-out costs, the increase of single-person households, and growing interest in health and beauty. In line with these trends, aT organized an integrated Korea Pavilion, which included K-Food exporters, five local governments such as Chungcheongbuk-do and Jeollabuk-do, and four export integration organizations focused on items like paprika, tomatoes, and tangerines. A total of 73 companies and organizations participated.

In particular, aT established a separate "K-Frozen" themed zone dedicated to frozen foods, offering various programs such as exhibitions and tastings. It also operated the "Next K-Food" promotional zone to highlight strategic items for export to Japan. As a result, buyers visiting the Korea Pavilion showed interest in premium fruits such as paprika, kiwi, and tangerines; freeze-dried soup blocks, potato corn dogs, and sweet potato bread for convenient meals; and functional foods, including health drinks and protein products.

A representative from a beverage export company participating in the expo said, "Reflecting the Japanese trend of prioritizing health, there were many inquiries from local buyers about functional beverages, confirming the growth potential of our products." A representative from a protein product export company added, "Protein bars that are easy to eat as meal replacements were popular, and we expect to expand our presence in the Japanese market as a result of this expo."

A representative from Beisia, a Japanese distributor who visited the Korea Pavilion, expressed interest in K-frozen foods. He said, "It was great to see a wide range of Korean foods in one place. The packaging, taste, and quality of Korean foods seem to improve every year. In addition to the frozen dumplings we currently handle, we are considering distributing other frozen foods such as ice cream and bread."

Jeong Kyungseok, Director of the Food Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "Japan is one of the top three strategic countries for K-Food exports, accounting for 13% of total exports. The government has designated fresh produce, traditional Korean alcoholic beverages, convenient foods, and health functional foods as strategic export items for Japan in 2026 and plans to nurture them intensively. Based on the achievements from this Foodex participation, we will provide various forms of support, from product development to local marketing."

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